Hyperfocal Distance - Please explain

[uh60]

Can someone please explain Hyperfocal Distance as if I was a dummy or well I'm an idiot. But all the sites I see have llenses that look like they come from film cameras with aperture rings.

Please can you explain with the modern lenses with just hyperfocal distance scale. Basically at the moment I have a Nikon D60 (With 3 focus points) with a 17-55mm and I just set aperture and auto focus and shoot. Is the hyperfocal scale better to use and why? Don't forget I'm an idiot

Will my shots go from this


to this



or not necessarily?

[Forseti]

This guy explains it nicely plus there's a calculator to have a play with. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/hyperfocal-distance.htm .

This site is also packed full with lots of other useful information/tutorials etc. Enjoy